Tomorrow is both the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo, so it's shaping up to be a big party night across the country. The epicenter of the Race for the Roses is Bardstown Road in Louisville. A mile-long stretch of bars, pubs, and restaurants, it's the place to go for anyone who has won--or lost--at the Derby. Wonder if the Queen will show up at Crazy Train Bar & Grill.... Meanwhile, in the state with the most Mexican immigrants (numbering more than 8 million, according to the 2000 U.S. census), there are blocks-long parties as well. The most well-known is in San Diego's Old Town. Its Fiesta de Cinco de Mayo is expecting 200,000 to come watch the live bands and dance troupes, drink some frozen margaritas, and eat tacos, tacos, and more tacos. For those who can't be at either place and want to invite some friends over or bring a potluck dish to a party, check out our recipes and menus for both Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby. And...they're off.

I am stupidly fussy about the types, shapes, and sizes of the utensils, plates, cups, and glasses I use when I eat at home. I have a particular cup for my morning coffee and one for my nighttime tea (and weekend daytime tea is in yet another cup). I have a special ice cream bowl and spoon--not too big and not too small, all the better to eat with, to mix nursery stories. For some reason, things don't taste their best if they are not in their correct implement or vessel. I know this is compulsive of me, but it's always been the case. Is there a bowl, plate, or cup you are insistent upon using, or am I just the lone crazy one out there?

Recently I had a new friend over for dinner. I made a mac and cheese with prosciutto and Taleggio that I think walks the line between comfort food and sophisticated flavors. This is a woman who has worked in the food industry for more than a decade, lived all over the world, and has eaten at some of the globe's best restaurants, both high and low. The dish came out beautifully, all bubbly and crusty. After a glass of wine, or two, she came out and said that while she appreciated my efforts and thought the recipe simultaneously elegant and homey, she preferred the mac and cheese she grew up on--boxed Kraft. I found that not insulting but interesting--how did this prepackaged dish burn its way into her taste memory so that every other version just didn't quite measure up? Is there something manufactured that you prefer to the homemade version? Canned frosting? Baked beans? French fries?

We have all read about those who are trying to limit their food intake to ingredients that are grown within 100 miles of their home (see my plastic bag post, which includes information on these self-dubbed "locavores" or "localvores" for further clarification). Most food we consume travels an average of 1,500 miles, which means with every bite we take we are contributing to pollution and therefore global warming. Eating and shopping as locally as possible is a great philosophy, and we should all practice it as much as we can, whether it means becoming a member of a Community Supported Agriculture farm, or doing most of your shopping at farmer's markets or stores that are locally focused in their offerings, like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Albertson's, Wegman's etc. However, the 100-mile-life-or-bust is a full-time job, something most of us simply cannot afford in time (and often money). What do you buy locally that helps further the local economy, keep family farms flourishing, and reduces your carbon footprint?

These are some of the most amazing cake constructions I've ever seen. Apparently, they are completely all-cake and created by a baker named Zhanna who lives in St. Petersburg, Russia. As amazing as these are and as complicated as they must be to make, I find something lost in translation--why all of the American corporate icons, like Pepsi, Big Macs, and Reebok sneakers? I don't know about you, but ever since Charlie Chaplin munched on shoes, they don't have the same gustatory appeal for me.